The Frog Statuette
by TheGiftOfHeavenSun
Summary: The story of one winter day, when Misaka's having a birthday, and until she found the greatest pleasure in the form of a gift from a certain spiky haired guy, Kamijiou Touma.


It's getting warmer and warmer, Mikoto Misaka thought to herself in her slumber, as the weak sun started penetrating the glassy window that is blocked by a soft silky curtain, giving only a slight translucent shadow that relieved the gloom of yesterday, with a vague light that is as certain as the sun itself. It was winter, so it can be assumed that the word 'warmer' means that the temperature had raised since yesterday, even though the weather broadcast said that the snow would began falling today, but the sun still managed to make itself in time, as the weak sunlight entered the room. A portion of vivid light crossed the level 5 esper's eyelids, signaling them to be fluttered open as soon as possible. Even though it was just a certain fraction of stimulation, but it was enough to wake the Railgun, as her muscle began to show some amount of life, and without her knowing why, she has found herself sitting on the soft bed, with her right hand on her eyes, rubbing them as her eyes began to adapt itself with the impressive light.

Mikoto Misaka stretched her arms and gave the last yawn in the dawn. The calm breeze began took its chance to enter the hazel-eyed girl's dorm room, filling the day in sweet draft, carrying its amount of joyous odor and air, equally alive in their own right. As the calm breeze began reaching Misaka's slender body, her half opened eyes began surveying the room, and just on the cozy bed she was on, a mere thought began crossing the smart brain which has inhabited Misaka's brain for eternity, a certain thought of a certain pig tailed girls that has been her roommate for more than four seasons.

"Where's Kuroko?"

The first speculation that was exists in Misaka's mind: suspicion. Everything that was not done habitually for the teleporter anytime, not just in the morning, will be something that Misaka thought idiotic, maybe planning something to her, just like what the other lesbian did. It was not like that she had known more than one lesbian in her entire life, but what Kuroko did to catch her attention was somehow unimaginably scary, and perhaps out of sanity. Okay, who will purchase aphrodisiac, as if wishing a sexual intercourse with her? Didn't the aphrodisiac shopkeeper prohibit her to purchase something only for 'man' and 'adulthood'?

Misaka sighed as the negative thought began circling her mind. Really, it was not good to do so, but well, it was Shirai Kuroko's place in the world right? Her eyes were closed just in a mere of second, as if it started relieving the burden that was showed by a certain sigh. Her sight began to be directed into the alarm clock which took shape of Gekota toys, and the animated frog gave its warm smile to its admirer, something that Misaka Mikoto would always think to be cute. She took a glance to the hour hand of the clock, narrowing her eyes as she did so. With the last glance to the clock, she moved herself tardily to the bathroom.

Things started becoming obstreperous in her first step towards the world.

It was not like that she has been very adapted to what the Tokiwadai Middle school's atmosphere offered in the morning, but really having lived here for more that a year had created some amount of similar habit from day to day, from the first time she reached the morning and evening until now. It was not like she used to the gloom situation, as if just when she crossed the territory of her room, she will gather so many people jeering at her (well, if she caused massive blackout that will inhibit the students from eating breakfast from the refrigerator, she couldn't help it). But nevertheless, for any circumstances that she had gone through this far, this was the first time in the whole time she experienced this kind of condition.

In the first step she opened the door to see the real world that was there in front of her, flashlight of the camera began blinding her sight. Her hands instinctively covered her face to stop the annoying light from crushing her eyes. The crowd began cheering at her, giving congratulation to her with a loud voice that can match even the greatest storm in summer. Whatever the situation she was in, she was still confused of what has happened. Indeed, she will never think that she will be attacked by the unknown forces or even the greatest esper in academy city. But she was still perplexed by the mere thought of sudden flashlight, or by a certain sound of cheering at her, until she eventually lowered her hand, and her blurry vision was concentrated to a certain level 4th esper that was holding an oval cake with a big cherry on it.

"Happy birthday onee-sama!"

Misaka blinked. Birthday… to her? This day? Good grief. She has forgotten her birthday. Well indeed, she has received birthday gift from her parents every year, but it never came in the morning, always in the evening. Usually, she will never forget her birthday, even though she will never expose to other people. Nevertheless these recent days were very… what to say? Exhausting and disappointing, she must say. The date she supposed to have with a certain spiky haired guy was disappointing, she fought the anti-skill to keep them distracted from attacking her 'date', she was punished yesterday for arriving at the dorm late, and a lot more things in her mind that was so complicated that it would be best for her not to mention any of it. She would never think of something more gladdening just like birthday or what. But well…

The other constant congratulation and handshake began to be offered to her, greeted by her warm hand and smile. She was still surprised though, there were so many people in the corridor, congratulating her for her repeated one year life. Except Kuroko, there was Kongou Mitsuko, Awatsuki Maaya, Wannai Kinuho, and other tens of students that she barely knew, but she somehow knew that she has met them at least once. Even Tsuchimikado Maika was here, despite of her lack in time due to her maid training. It was very thoughtful for them to come here in the first time, and the mere thought was more than enough for her. Shirai Kuroko managed to find her voice after some quality of cheering, handing a sliced cake on a plate to her. The silver fork accompanied the cake besides, forming a suitable composition between them

"This is the cake for today, onee-sama!" she said with a bright smile which was curved on her lips, as if it had been carved to be curved for the entire time. "Please have some!"

Mikoto Misaka took the cake from Kuroko's hand with a slight smile formed from her lips. She observed the cake, having some amount of surveillance. The cake was beautiful, she must say. The first layer of cake was covered by white chocolate; it seemed thick but yet, adorable. The second layer of the cake was covered by pink hue, and the words strawberry crossed Mikoto's mind. But when she took a closer look it seemed that the second layer was a mixed of strawberry with other unknown flavor, but it still seemed fabulous. The strawberry bulb circled the upper part of the cake, making the cake appeared to be fresher and fresher. The composition of the cake was very good, and she couldn't wait to have a taste of the cake.

Until a thought crossed her mind, summarized by a simple sentence that has been stung in her brain.

"You didn't put something in it, did you?" Misaka said with a curious tone, as she took another look to the cake. As she said the sentence, she could hear that almost all the crowd stopped their chatting and cheering. They managed themselves to look at the Railgun. No, not the stare of agony or disgust, or maybe the stare of humiliation. They stared with a knowing look on their face, as though they have known what kind of question was it, or what was the meaning of Misaka's statement. Only the sound of Mitsuko's fan that could be heard, as though she was born with that fan from her mother's womb.

Kuroko could feel her own sweat from the corner of her face.

"Of course not!" she said, stuttered a little. "What did you think you were sayi…"

Those words were cut by the sudden breeze which was fluttered out of nowhere. It blew a piece of paper from Kuroko's pocket, only to be caught by the great reflex from Misaka's hand. Kuroko hastily chased it, trying to take the paper, as if she would be dead if that paper was not taken by her (and it was a reality). But Misaka, with her other hand, blocked Kuroko movement, by placing her hand on Kuroko's head, and observing the paper with a bored look on her face.

"Well… what is this?" Misaka said, not even taking a glance from Kuroko, catching the sight of the words in the paper. "The title is Onee- sama's birthday. 1st: make onee-sama a cake, 2nd: give some aphrodisiac in it, 3rd: give it to onee-sama, 4th: lead her to the bedroom. You know what kind of situation I was in?" she said, giving a grim look to her roommate, as if she has been possessed by the devil from the ninth hell itself.

"I'm currently building up stress here!" she shouted to her, grabbing Kuroko by the collar, and shook her badly, with countless shout that penetrate the peaceful dawn, ignoring the knowing smile that all her friends and schoolmates gave to her. Indeed, it was a fact in school, no longer a gossip, that the teleporter have sexual desire to a certain railgun, but seeing her doing something like this, the crowds couldn't help but smile.

It was a joyous occasion, until a certain footstep with a devilish aura could be heard and felt.

All the aura has been tensed just by hearing the footstep. Even Wannai Kinuho, who usually calm in any situation, has a paler face, and it happened to everyone in the corridor. Shirai Kuroko, who was in the most front part of the corridor, even though Misaka has stopped grabbing her collar, seemed paler, just like a living corpse. And the shadow from the darkness itself began spreading the corridor, as the silhouette of the tall lady stood in front of Kuroko.

"My dear student," she said, with no smile, yet a serious look on her face. "What do you think you are doing?"

It was the dorm supervisor of Tokiwadai middle school. She was a tall woman with a slender figure. Pentagonal shaped glasses were placed on her nose, and hair was disentangled all over her back. She was wearing a formal female suit with not so short skirt, with smooth black color all on it. She has a black and leading aura all around her, with no sense concession to rules. She was feared by every student in the dormitory. Her strictness was her own weapon, something that she considered as a task for the dormitory supervisor, and the students couldn't do anything about it so much.

Her stare was directed to Shirai Kuroko.

"Can you explain? Shirai-san?" she said, with a deadly stare.

"We were just…" Kuroko gulped, an amount of saliva was taken accidentally and she was afraid that she would be dead by her own dorm supervisor by breaking her neck. "We have no class… and we wanted to…"

"Being noisy is strictly prohibited, I assumed. The rule said so," the dorm supervisor said.

All the crowds and Misaka gulped, as if they were watching a defendant who was judged in the inquisition by a magistrate, and the defendant was in the verge to be punished. The verdict was somehow bad either, and they could do nothing about it. The cold wind began surrounding the corridor, as if the weather could reflect what has happened inside the dorm building. It gave shiver to everybody's skin, as they fear began to increase in high level.

"Well… we have a day off… so…"

Kuroko's final words were interrupted as the dorm supervisor grabbed her by the neck and breaking it to the left. She then threw the 'corpse' of her 'victim' to the corridor. The crowds began calling for Kuroko by the name as if they were trying to make sure that the teleporter was still alive, answered by the motionless body on the floor to their horror, and nothing in the world could make that tragic voice as horrible as that. The deadly stare of the dorm supervisor began to be turned from Kuroko to Misaka, as if she has found a new victim in the other side of hell.

"Wasn't that true? Misaka Mikoto?" she said.

"Yes!" Misaka stuttered.

The snow began falling in academy city, giving the flawless white hue around the entire perimeter, with the coldness that was still in a predicted measurement. But it was still, somehow cold. It was true that the sunlight from the dawn was much warmer than this time, as the temperature began to drop gradually, as the Mother Nature began showed its cold spirit. Fortunately, the snow hasn't been too thick to make the pavement's road too slippery. But snow was not the only think that could slip a person. At least, that was a mere thought of the most unfortunate person in the world, the plague, the one who cleansed God and exorcised Evil, the level 0th esper in academy city, or everything you would like to call, Kamijiou Touma.

His head hit the pavement road with so many forces that he himself was confused why he wasn't unconscious at the first time. His body was sprawled on the granite pavement below, whose hardness increased the impact of falling. But somehow, his body was still mindful, and he didn't think that was because of the fact that he had fallen so many time before, but because of the fact that his misfortune restrain him from losing consciousness, letting him to feel the intense pain that only he could bear. The tennis ball which was the source of his fall and misfortune was rolling beside him, as though it made fun of the spiky haired boy. Whatever it was, how could the tennis ball be there? Wasn't it winter now? Who would be stupid enough to play tennis right now?

Touma began to sit on the pavement, rubbing its head a little, as though a slight touch of his rough hand was enough to cure his pain, and he had known it from the first time, that that was useless. He groaned in pain, and closed his eyes without knowing why, and with a bored look on his face, as if he had done the same thing from the first time he breathed in the world, his catch phrase was flown smoothly and tragically, a simple two words that was enough to describe the experience that he had passed through this entire time and this day.

"Such misfortune."

In his sitting form, with his leg sprawled on the ground, he brushed off the dust and a slight crystal of ice that was attached to his winter uniform: a t-shirt beneath a black coat with black pants, very simple yet enough to guard him from a constant decreasing in temperature. He stood up, and his hand could feel a certain thing that filled up his black coat, as it was swollen a bit by its size, and the thing was not destructed or destroyed by the impact of falling either, as if it was eternal, or it wanted to see the unfortunate of Kamijiou Touma. He sighed, taking the thing from his pocket and examined it with a curious look, as though it was something that he got from the God itself, with the embodiment angel. No. The thing was not as elegant as that.

In front of it, displayed on his hand was a little statuette. It was very physical, very well captured at, the embodiment of a green frog, or maybe a sculpture of oh so cute animated frog, with the size of his fist. It was a green and glossy thing, sculpted so finely that the artist must have taken a lesson from Leonardo Da Vinci himself. The frog was standing upright with a broad smile crossed its face, as though it could negate all negative feeling, and give blessing to other people. As his hand surveyed the surface of the statuette, his hand suddenly met something rougher, as if there was a protruding letters on it, and as Touma observed it, it really exist. Slowly, his eyes began taking information of what it said, and he smiled for that.

"Love is something that the world goes round"

It was very silly how the first time for Touma to make a decision to buy that thing. His head was sure to be full of adulthood, as he has completely forgotten about anything funny or childish, and whatever it was, he was still an adult after all. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but buying it. The frog statuette was first displayed in a podium, that was oh so isolated from everything else that it almost demanded passerby's to look at it. It seems that the statuette had been used to with loneliness, despite of its artistic figure, and wishing Touma's sight only. Indeed, Touma could find a certain alluring power that was spread by the statuette itself, as though the statuette had done something attractive to him, and a thought of a certain hazel haired girl was eventually drawn by his brain, as though the frog statuette was a catalyst for it, and even though he didn't know the advantage of buying it, he took some amount of money from his pocket with the same behavior with the Four Horsemen waiting for the Apocalypse. It took a half of his allowance, he must say.

And now, the statuette was staring at him, but not the stare of regret for being bought, but just like the look of little children that was finally meeting their parents, as the frog appeared to be warm in Touma's palm. He knew completely that he was not a romantic or sensitive person, but seeing all the circumstances, he smiled, a smile that made the eternal circle of the eyes closed momentarily, a smile for him, and a smile for eternity.

Touma stuffed the statuette to his pocket again, to its habitat, with the utmost care that all parents would be jealous for unable to do that to their children. He began walking again, taking another stroll, usual stroll around the academy city, relaxing himself, and gathering some amount of peace that had been rare these days. That was until he took sight of a certain hazel eyes girl in the corner of his bare eyes.

In front of him, just around twenty meters from his standing place was the sight of a certain girl, sitting gracefully in a bench with hazel hair disentangled toward the back of her body and her shoulder is the boundary of the length of her hair. Her hazel eyes perfectly match the color of her hair, that Touma raised his eyebrow for the complete unison of hair and eyes. She was wearing a long sleeves coat with beige color, with the symbol of Tokiwadai Middle School attached proudly on it. Her delicate mouth was blowing her own flawless hands, which was strangely not covered by a pair of gloves. With a pink scarf on her neck, she kept blowing, as if it was the only protection for her from the cold temperature. A light colorful short skirt was the completion of the uniform, and it didn't seem to be able to give much protection from chill to the girl.

Touma gave a sigh, releasing an amount of the visible vapor to the air as he did so. Then, with the equivalence of a guy seeing an old friend, he paced forward, approaching a certain girl, who could be his own apocalypse, even though he didn't want to know what the meaning of apocalypse was.

"Oy, Biri-biri!"

As though she had just met the evil that was indignant to her, she jolted upwards, releasing some amount of electricity that was the source of her power. The blue hue of the electricity was dissipated fast by her, replaced by a surprised glance to the person who called her by a nickname that only she could know, Kamijiou Touma.

And without her knowing why, she yelled him, as an amount of blood was flowing to her cheek, giving crimson red color that only she could know why it happened.

"What are you doing here!" she said as she out of the blue sat in a more proper position, as if it was enough to scare Touma away, and she knew it from the first time, she will fail in the process. Kamijiou Touma was not a kind of boy who could be scared by only a sudden shout anyway, for he had seen something that only devil could do and it was way more horrible than that.

"What? Was I prohibited to be here? Just taking a sit here and that's all," he answered with a little shrug, trying not to give any more argument, fearing the electricity would crush his body, even though he had known the Imagine Breaker will negate it. He sat on the same bench as Misaka's, as it seemed to make the Railgun reddened even more.

"Geez, Misaka, you shouldn't bark to anyone you found to be annoying," Touma said as he scratched the back of his head nonchalantly, enjoying the scene of the winter from that bench. It was very nice view, Touma must say, and that it was maybe the reason why Misaka took a sit there. The pine trees were soaring to the air, with the company from the crystal snow, as it managed to whiten the leaves of trees a little. It was a mature yet oh so childish beauty, where the mix of it was so calming to be seen.

"It's none of your business! I could do anything that I want!" she barked again, fully ignoring Touma statement before, and even he knew that she would do something like that from before he said it.

"Whatever it is, what are you doing here? It was getting cold you know, you can catch a fever," Touma said, with a slight worried tone on his words. Misaka, without realizing her own doing, stiffened, as her face began reddening again.

"Ah! Your face is red! Come on Misaka! Are you okay?" Touma said, checking the temperature of the Railgun as he touched Misaka's forehead with his palm. The touch of Touma, even though her skin was rough, it was something that Misaka always likes. But whatever it was, it just made her blushing even more.

"I-I-I'm okay," Misaka answered with the lowest tone that could be emerged from her voice box, not knowing what to say, as she suddenly lost her way of talking, and her calm figure was depleted by a sudden concerned thought of a certain guy. She was the equivalence with a gentle kitten now, and she could find her face reddening even more.

"What? What did you say? Wah! What happened? Why it became redder and redder? Misaka?" he said. His worried tone has changed frantically as he observed that the red hue was gathering beneath the mist of sacred snow, and he, as only a certain high school student, didn't know anything much about health and medical.

"Geezz. I couldn't check your temperature with proper measurement this way. Let's see how about this," he said.

And Misaka didn't know whether she had found heaven or hell in the world after that.

Touma's forehead moved forward, with a direct arrival to Misaka's forehead, placing his forehead gently into hers, trying to check her body temperature. With the greatest gentleness that he could give, he stopped for a moment in that position, assuming that it would be best for him to check the temperature in a longer time. He closed his eyes as if he was observing diligently and thoroughly. Misaka, on the other hand, felt as if she was about to faint all of the sudden. Her brain suddenly forgot how to work normally, as if her own brain has melted by the direct touch and proximity with Kamijiou Touma. She didn't acknowledge her current situation now, or maybe what will other things happen if the bystanders were watching them. What she saw, what she felt, what she heard at that time was guarded in a little circle that could only fit for two her and a certain spiky haired guy.

And that couldn't last forever.

"Oh my God. Misaka-san! Is that your boyfriend? And are you trying to kiss?"

The voice with loud and cheerful tone penetrated Touma and Misaka's ears, as some bystander began walking away, each with an amused smile exposed on their face. The gossip of a Railgun and her boyfriend would be spread in no time, and it would only take until tomorrow for it. They kept whispering at them, much to Misaka's displeasure.

Saten Ruiko, the source of the previous voice was standing in front of them, with an amused smile on her face. She was wearing Sakugawa Middle School's winter uniform: a black uniform with a nice ribbon on the collar, and a middle sized skirt. Her hair was still, black, of course, with a flower hair clip as the only company for the hair. Her hands were holding a box of what's supposed to be a gift which had been wrapped nicely, with the good combination of pink and green.

"Sa-sa-saten-san!" Misaka said, accidentally (or purposely) knocked off Touma by stretching her hands, hitting Touma on the face as he fell to other side of the bench with a loud thud. "I-I-I-I didn't…." she said, but she couldn't find a good words to describe what had happened.

"Whatever you say, Misaka-san," Saten said in a sing song voice. "Anyway, here!" she continued, handing the gift to Misaka. "Happy birthday!" she said with a genuine smile on her face, as though she had completely forgotten what had happened earlier.

"Ah… Thanks" Misaka answered hesitantly, taking the gift from Saten's hand, and placed it on her lap with care.

"I'm sorry, but I have to attend supplementary class and Uiharu said that she would come later. So, good bye!" she said, as she waved her hand and ran from the place.

"Ummm! Thank you so much!" Misaka replied, shouting.

"Oh yeah! Don't forget to introduce your boyfriend later!" Saten said again.

And Misaka could feel her life was in shame again, as she could feel a tingling feeling in her heart began to raise even more, she didn't know whether she should blame Saten for this or blame Touma for that, but now, a simple short memory about Touma placing her forehead on hers was flowing again, and she didn't bother to clear it.

"You friend was eccentric, wasn't she?" Touma said as he began standing from his falling figure, rubbing her head as a red stamp could be seen there, the memory of Misaka's punch. He stood as if he never stood, or as though he was crushed by a certain container which carried five piano, and to be honest, the power of Misaka's punch could be said to be equivalent with that.

"That's none of your business! I could decide who will I consider as a friend!" she said, closing her eyes as she did so, as though it was an action to stop the embarrassment that had been buried this day, and it was a matter of success, after all.

"But happy birthday…," Touma said with a weak tone.

The silence was spread for a second, and to be honest, the Railgun could solve any physic problem, could fire an electromagnetic cannon, could produce city blackout, but right now, she couldn't find her voice, as if it was tied on the bottom of her throat, and her brain refused to give a little amount of voice that anyone would easily produce, or perhaps it would be best for her to become silent, or whatever it was, she didn't know.

"T-t-t-thanks," she said, with a slight honest gratitude behind her low voice. The mere thought of Touma congratulated her was very nice and simple, but yet adorable.

The silence began spreading around them. They were still in their position: standing Touma and sitting Misaka, as though they were staying to be painted by the artist, as a painting that was enough to relieve yesterday, as a painting for the memory of two people with each other.

"Ah!" Touma said, as his hand found himself to stuff itself to his pocket. "I don't know whether it was good enough to be a present, but this is for you!" Touma said, and handing the frog statuette to the hazel eyed girl.

Misaka blinked a second, without noticing what her own doing. She was staring at the statuette of the frog that she admired so much, and the frog appeared to love seeing her too. She took the statuette from Touma hesitantly and carefully, as if it was some kind of magical thing or something fragile that anyone in the world feared about. She then examined the frog with the circle of her eyes, and her hazel eyes met the statuette's lifeless black orbs of eyes, until she couldn't find her words again, a clear danger sign for everyone around her. Then, she placed it gently on the bench, so much more to the statuette, just like to a human being with fragile body.

"Misaka?" Touma whispered, as his head was tilted a little in confusion. Silent Misaka was a clear danger sign, he must say.

But whatever Misaka did afterwards was far more surprising than seeing Index not hungry.

She threw herself to Touma's chest, burying her head as she did so. In the first time of the year, in her own birthday, she started crying, releasing any emotional thing that has been jailed in a wall called honor and respect, and she must restraint the intention of dropping anymore crystal tear from her eyes. Tears of joy, not tears of sadness and sorrow, as her heart felt jump by the catalyst of the frog statuette, by a sudden though of a certain spiky haired man. She never imagined this, and even though she was not an emotional type, she just felt like crying. The thought and the tears were very… unbearable. In other side, Touma stiffened, by the sudden action of the Railgun, but he replied it with a smile, as the corner of his mouth turned upwards to that Devil may care smirk that Misaka Mikoto and half of the population of Academy city found heart stopping, until he managed to speak.

"Happy birthday, Misaka Mikoto."

And the frog statuette watched, holding its silent vigil yet again whilst the two became one.


End file.
